What are /r/chromeos' favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

Check this link out:

https://www.google.com/chrome/devices/eol.html

Specifically,

> When a device reaches End of Life (EOL), it means that the product model is considered obsolete and automatic software updates from Google are no longer guaranteed.

For all those posting here about LastPass... I highly suggest a switch to BitWarden. It is open source, a free app although you can pay in order to get syncing (which seems fair). You can self-host the syncing server if you are ultra-paranoid but their service is cheap enough.

Most importantly... because they are open source the code is available for all to see and understand and has been independently verified as secure.

I used LastPass for quite a while but to me, BitWarden is better in every way. The killer feature for me was that you can put your MFA tokens into it and it will automatically copy the current generated # to your clipboard ready to paste once the page comes up.

Chrome OS has support for A/B updates up and down the firmware/software stack.

Software updates on Chrome OS are always downloaded and installed in the background to a second redundant partition of firmware and the SSD storage.

For example, lets say that your Chromebook is currently booted from "A" partition of firmware, kernel, and root file system. The Chrome OS update engine will download the next version directly to the "B" partitions of firmware, kernel, and root file system.

Then, when it comes time to update, all the user has to do is reboot the system, and the boot process gets flipped over to "B" instead of "A"

Nowhere do you have to jump to a separate "OTA install" or "Recovery image" step like Android or iOS to install a normal update. The first time it boots into a new OS image it should boot at the same speed as any other boot.

This also adds redundancy. If for some reason the update is corrupted and the "B" partition fails to boot, the system has a failsafe : It can always fall back and boot to "A" which was a known good OS.

Edit: more info here : https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/filesystem-autoupdate

I've been pretty impressed with both the V1 and V2 models of the Samsung Chromebook Plus. Unlike a lot of Chromebooks, the screen's gorgeous, they do the whole flip/tablet thing, they've got a nice pen for annotating, the keyboards are decent, etc. etc. I've got the original V1 and have for around three years now, I think? Great little laptop. I just bought my wife a refurbed V2 since her old Chromebook died, and it's a nice little piece of kit too.

The V1s a little lighter than the V2, and it's got a slightly larger and squarer screen. The V2 has a pretty standard screen aspect ratio, and it's a little heavier, but it's also got a full sized USB port that the V1 doesn't have, and I think the keyboard's nicer on the V2.

Neither one of them is exactly cheap, but they don't go for Pixelbook dollars either:

V1:

https://smile.amazon.com/Samsung-Chromebook-Convertible-Laptop-XE513C24-K01US/dp/B01LZ6XKS6?sa-no-redirect=1

V2:

https://smile.amazon.com/Samsung-Chromebook-Plus-Camera-Chrome/dp/B07J1SY5QQ?sa-no-redirect=1&th=1

I'm a web designer using a Chromebook nearly full time. I visit this page, https://remotedesktop.google.com/access to access a headless Windows computer (serves as my PLEX home media server) I have on a local network for the days I need to use Photoshop or a couple of other Windows-specific tools.

Is it possible to do this? Yes. However, if you actually need to use Photoshop "for real" and not just to quickly edit or reference a PSD, you're going to have a difficult time.

I use Photopea (https://www.photopea.com/) on my Chromebook for basic photo resizing, editing, and PSD access most days.

If you are traveling often, a web server with Windows might work. However, if you're at a local network, or don't mind leaving a machine on at a home, remote desktopping to your own device will be more affordable in the long run, especially if you already own a Windows machine.

A VPN browser extension is an SSH proxy. This is different from network level VPN technologies such as OpenVPN, L2TP, IPSec etc.

For example, having a VPN extension for Chrome will only send Chrome traffic through the VPN. Android apps, Linux apps and OS level traffic will go outside the VPN. Unless you use a network level VPN. Most providers, including NordVPN provide a browser extension in addition to their own OpenVPN clients.

A browser extension is less secure and not really anonymous compared to a proper network level client.

For those that are confused / want to know more:

> Chrome OS uses a release channel system to allow users the ability to opt-into beta or developer versions for testing purposes. > > The stable channel is the default software release channel, and is recommended for the average user. This channel contains the most up to date and most stable version of Chrome OS. If you haven't changed your channel, this is the channel your device is running. > > The beta channel is commonly used by individuals that want to help the Chrome Team hunt down bugs before they make it into a stable release. The beta channel is only recommended for technology savvy individuals with an interest in reporting bugs, and those comfortable with running potentially unstable software. > > The developer channel is designed to allow developers early access to changes being made to how applications work, providing them with enough time to make compatibility adjustments. It is recommended for developers, or very technology savvy individuals that have a high-level understanding of Chrome OS who are actively willing to report bugs in detail as they find them. > > Source

I'd also like to issue a friendly reminder that for those of you that do run the canary / dev / beta channel, when you find an issue be sure to head to the Chrome OS Testing group. It's proving to be a very good resource for documenting issues before escalating them to the team.

If they go through with this, just set your DNS to Adguard DNS or do ad blocking in your router and use a VPN to your home (e.g., Wireguard). The advantage of doing this is that ad blocking is provided to all your devices.

The main part of the operating system (root file system) is stored in 2 separate partitions, one in current use, one as as backup. The auto-updater updates the backup partition to any new version, and them marks that as bootable for the next reboot. If the reboot is successful the updated partition becomes the new main boot partition, and the current boot partition becomes the backup partition.

Reference: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/filesystem-autoupdate

For those of you that are about to go looking for alternatives, I'd like to point out two.

ZenMate is another free extension that does what Hola did. They have paid plans available, but it's still free for unlimited data.

TunnelBear is a paid VPN service that offers a Chrome extension for this as well. Their plans are reasonably priced, and you know for sure that your traffic won't be resold. They do offer a small amount of free data each month, but it won't be enough to watch Netflix.

Full disclosure: I've been a paying TunnelBear user for a couple years now. Haven't had any issues :)

Please note that Adblock Pro is not the same as Adblock Plus, or Adblock. It can be pretty confusing. Adblock Plus has been around since 2006. Adblock is basically a fork of Adblock Plus.

Adblock Plus:
https://adblockplus.org/en/about

Adblock:
https://getadblock.com/#about

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VKCKD8R/ref=dp_cr_wdg_tit_rfb

The greatest bang for your buck laptop out there at the moment. Hp x360 Chromebook. The pricing varies a bit and the model I've linked to is refurbished but you should expect to pay $400 ish. Look on eBay and bestbuy. Bestbuy in particular runs upto $200 discount on this model from time to time. Black Friday sales might be good too.

Pros: 1. Processor. 8th gen Intel U processor. Packs more punch than most other Chromebooks in the market which have Y processor. Anything above this would probably require a powerful fan. 2. 8 GB ram. Lpddr4. More ram and faster ram (2400 hz). Most others have lpddr3 3. Good keyboard. I tried one at bestbuy and the reviews agree 4. Touchscreen IPS so good viewing angles. bezels are pretty decent 5. Linux supported.

Cons 1. No stylus support. You can always use a capacitive pen. But some apps and software does better with stylus support 2. Not too heavy to carry easily but bulky enough to be slightly awkward in tablet mode.lighter Chromebooks available. 3. Screen is good but not excellent. Does not have the highest sRGB coverage.

Honestly, I'm looking for something with pen support. If it hadn't been for that, I might have already bought it. This is what I would consider an ideal Chromebook. Now if only Google would fix some of its software shenanigans

Yep. If you're looking for a larger stylus for longer writing/drawing sessions, the Staedtler Digital Pencil ($15) works great. Also, with either this or the included stylus, Squid is amazing. Zero lag.

You can also try to install neverware/cloudready (https://www.neverware.com/) on the macbook to turn it into a chromebook. If that solves all the problems you can sell it and get a real chromebook if you like. Another alternative could be an iPad. Main advantage of that is that its a bit similar to macOS and very hard to mess up with unwanted software.

From this page. Note that only one Chromebook has an official EoL; for the rest it is an unofficial date and so might be later (but will not be earlier).

"virus-free" is impossible by the means of nowadays complex software. however, security plays an important role since of the beginning of ChromeOS.

there are several techniques applied on different layers in order to make it as hard as possible for an attacker to take over a machine: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/security-overview

but the pwnium contest for example shows that is still possible to break into such system albeit all those measurements.

I don't have any numbers to back up this claim here, but I would say in terms of security ChromeOS > MacOS > Windows, which is exactly the inverse of the distribution of each system. not a coincidence (an attacker is interested into targeting a wider audience)

No need for guides. Go straight to the best option available:

https://www.neverware.com/freedownload/

Also being pedantic: you cannot install Chrome OS on something that isn't a Chromebook/box/base/bit. You can install Chromium OS, which is what CloudReady is based on.

I would avoid those VPNs if I were you. In my experience they'll drastically slow down your connection at best, at worst they'll sell your browsing data or use your bandwidth for their own purposes. You're much better off getting a paid VPN. They aren't very expensive and you'll have much better performance and security. I think Torguard VPN might be the cheapest because they have a 50% off promo code you can use, but you can get a really good VPN for like $30/year which is totally worth it.

Edit: It was Torguard, not NordVPN. The promo code is TGLifetime50

Hi! It seems that you may have mentioned running Linux on a Chrome device (possibly by way of Crouton or ChrUbuntu).

This community is focused on Chrome OS, not third-party tools for installing other operating systems. Instead, we ask that you please take that discussion to the correct subreddits or communities. Here are a few:

• /r/Crouton

• /r/ChrUbuntu

• /r/Linux

• Crouton Central

If your post isn't about installing Linux, or a question about using Linux, please feel free to ignore this message. Thanks!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chromeos) if you have any questions or concerns.

>Really, what I want is the C720 with a 1080 touchscreen.

This is what we all want, and as far as I can tell, it doesn't exist. Well, in my case, I want an Intel Acer c720 with a 13 inch 1080p screen.

You can check out this thread for a discussion of the Toshiba Chromebook 2 versus the Acer C720.

Otherwise, if you're willing to double your budget, you can get an Air.

It really depends on what you are doing. There are new data science type + Jupyter notebook online coding sites popping up every five minutes. I use https://modeanalytics.com. https://repl.it is good for playing around with code in different languges.

You can't. ChromeOS isn't free and isn't sold separately from ChromeBooks.

You can download Chromium, which is the open source version. It's somewhat the same, minus all the Google proprietary bits.

https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os

You're going to have shortcuts when you set up ChromeOS anyways. Try something like Station. I saw my friend using it this weekend, and it looked pretty cool. You can link to web apps in a side panel.

https://getstation.com/

This is the correct answer.

For those that are interested, the official End of Life Policy is a minimum of 5 years. The CR-48 will receive updates until December, 2015.

• https://www.google.com/chrome/devices/eol.html

"Private Internet Access" offers a Chrome extension. I have it on my Chromebook and it appears to work. I've only been using it for about 2wks so far and not on a daily basis (just at coffee houses and such).

I don't get it. The Play store listing doesn't specifically list any supported devices, and the search on the Mojang support site is seemingly useless in that regard.

So by default, I'd assume that ALL Android devices are supported. Is this just a case of a customer support person not knowing that Chromebooks are now Android devices?

If you can use android apps, I'd recommend Flud- Torrent Downloader or maybe FuTorrent!

Both are overall well-designed and fast!

Here's what I've been using on my pixelbook for the past couple of years.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07228DTQP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

has worked great for connecting to my monitor for dual screen (also for my macbook).

I'd say this is less a chrome problem and More in Android problem... They aren't really one in the same but it should be noted that I've had this problem on Android devices in the past.

You can try using the trick of typing in this address to see if it'll take you to the portal login, otherwise I'm not sure if there's an app on the Play Store that might help with it but you could always check for that too..

Try in chrome typing 192.168.1.1

or this app

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.melonrealized.android.initiatewifilogin

A little above 400, but again, I said maybe. Also has double the storage.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-Pavilion-Notebook-Computer-Bluetooth/dp/B07T4LMCZX/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=laptop&qid=1568515109&refinements=p_n_feature_four_browse-bin%3A2289793011%2Cp_36%3A-45000%2Cp_n_condition-type%3A2224371011&rnid=2224369011&s=electronics&sr=1-1

Now link me to a NEW Chromebook with the same specs for under $600. I'll wait.

Lenovo C330 . It has android app support and I’m pretty sure Linux app support as well

There is no such thing as "overcharging" any modern laptop (this has been true for a long time). Laptops are way too smart to let something so simple cause any trouble.

The best advice is usually to simply not worry about it, because in most cases any gains in battery performance you might eek out over the life of a device will be tiny compared to the effort needed to obtain them. Apple has been telling users not to worry about it for years, and they tend to have pretty happy users.

Here is a decent guide with some guidelines if you'd prefer to worry about it: http://www.howtogeek.com/169669/debunking-battery-life-myths-for-mobile-phones-tablets-and-laptops/

This is what the last part of the sentence means. Chromium OS (and Chrome OS by extension, since they share the exact same kernels) has a strict Upstream First policy : https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/upstream-first

Upstream First requires a lot more work, but it also means that you are less likely to have an abandoned kernel for a 2 or 3 year old SoC that no one will ever look at again or look for bug fixes or port security patches back to because they are all too busy working on the next next next SoC in the pipeline on yet another non-upstream kernel.

My Chromebook + Desktop PC Setup:

• VAVA USB C Hub to connect everything to the Pixel Slate, as it was the only one that propperly worked on 1440p monitor.
• UGREEN USB 3.0 Switch to switch Mouse/Keyboard from PC to Chromebook and back with one button

You have two options for printing to a Brother printer from a chromebook. This stems from Brother's CUPS drivers being more than just a PostScript file. So unlike most other printers you'd need to change more than what ChromeOS' generic printer driver system will allow. Kinda lame but you can probably get around with with one of these:

Install the WiFi Printer Driver for Chromebook extension and add your printer using its interface. This is what I use and it works, though I find that I need to open up the extension UI before triggering a print job sometimes.

Another option is to install the Brother iPrint&Scan android app and save your desired documents/webpages as PDFs that you then print from within the app. Clunky, but it's better than nothing.

Good luck!

> ChromeOS is basically a browser wrapper over a minimalist linux kernel/OS. Updating it doesn’t take much time because there isn’t much to adjust besides the actual data changed.

this has no bearing on the speed of updates. Updates are near instantaneous because the updated kernel/OS are installed to their own partitions, and upon reboot the firmware just switches which partitions are used for boot.

see: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/filesystem-autoupdate

https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices Per this link. Asus Flip C100 is on 3.18. Also interesting to note. It sounds like this is due to come on Samsung CB+, it is on 4.4. However, Samsung CBpro is on 3.18. If Linux support is truly going to require Linux Kernel version 4.4 and up. There's gonna be lots of sad CBpro and Asus C302 owners.

It is the best layout and best way to consume Reddit on a Chromebook. If you need to use an app (not sure why you would), then Boost is the way to go.

Yep. That's the marker of a successful OS, the "but does it run Google Earth?" test.

With the coming of Android apps on Chrome OS, this should change soon-ish.

With the next major update of Chrome OS, you'll be able to use Android apps. Android has the excellent Twilight app. If your delicate little eyes can hold out until then, you may be able to save yourself the trouble of selling your device.

I have an Android tablet, an Android phone, and a touchscreen Chromebook Flip. Once I got my Chromebook, the use case for my tablet kind of disappeared - the only reason I kept it was because there's a specific international banking card app that operates solely via their app (it's called Revolut - can't recommend this enough for people who want to travel abroad from the UK and want a cash card with near-perfect exchange rates).

Since a lot of apps are just a way for mobile users to access online services more easily, as soon as I got my Chromebook my tablet became a bedside reading tool. Using the Flip in touch mode is as awkward as browsing the internet on any touchscreen laptop, but everything I could do on my tablet I could do faster on my Chromebook. The Chromebook basically made my tablet redundant - not because the tablet functionality is better, but because I could be more productive with my time.

I still use my tablet as a reading device as the Flip is still quite hefty, but 90% of the time spent on my tablet has been channeled into either my Android phone or my Chromebook.

I think I should mention that I also don't use the Flip's touch functionality as much as I thought I would - if I were to make a purchase now I would rather prioritise screen size and quality, even with Android apps coming to Chrome OS.

Since you won't get the full value for your Chromebook here's a suggestion: consider getting a Google Cloud Compute or Amazon AWS Windows machine. They're relatively inexpensive and although I wouldn't say simple to set up you may want to consider trying. When you're not using them you stop the services and you're not being charged. When you need a Windows machine, start the services and access the cloud Windows instance from your Chromebook.

If by "Chromebook 2" you mean a Toshiba with a baytrail processor you won't be able to boot a linux off of a usb stick or from the internal ssd using the legacy mode in seabios because there is currently no support for baytrail. Use crouton to co-boot linux with chromeos. That is, boot up in chromeos and then run another linux in a chroot using the crouton. See e.g. here:

http://www.howtogeek.com/162120/how-to-install-ubuntu-linux-on-your-chromebook-with-crouton/

Microsoft Onenote Online! https://onedrive.live.com

I like it because it automatically syncs to my desktop and has a lot of the good features the desktop version has. It also autosaves just like Google Drive. You do need internet however. Took all my class notes in it last year. (I use Caret for writing code on chromebook, btw, but its not as good at class/random notes)

> Word had an easy option for Chicago citations.

Start using www.worldcat.org. Look up your source material on it. When you find your source, hit the Cite/Export button (on top, next to print, e-mail, share, and permalink.)

You'll get a drop-down menu with the source in the current APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA, and Turabian citation formats. Copy & paste it into your document, et voila.

Yes, it will. It's called Dark Resume:

On some systems, powerd passes a duration to the kernel in order to periodically wake the system from the S3 state. This results in an awake-with-the-display-off-and-audio-muted mode referred to as "dark resume". After the system wakes into dark resume, powerd checks the battery level. If it is low enough to suggest that the battery will be drained entirely while in S3, resulting in a system that can't be used until it's recharged, powerd shuts down the system. Otherwise, it re-suspends immediately.

Maybe this is something for you: https://pi-hole.net/

It works like a DNS server and just blocks everything that's considered an ad. Just like AdBlock but it can't be disabled. You can choose what lists of ad sites you want it to source from and it can't be disabled easily (has to be removed physically to be disabled). If you set up a Raspberry Pi next to the router and configure both it should work just fine.

I am not good with computers, but I was able to figure out installation and use of Linux. If you like the Chrome OS, I bet you could install Cloud Ready on the laptop and it would give a similar experience.

You can't run ChromeOS, but maybe one of the distributions of Chromium OS (the open source version of ChromeOS) will work for you.

CloudReady: https://www.neverware.com/#introtext-3 ArnoldTheBat: https://arnoldthebat.co.uk/wordpress/

> Why didn't a specific device receive the latest Chrome OS update? > > Don't panic! This happens all the time. > > Chrome OS is heavily optimized for each device. Every single model gets a slightly different version of Chrome OS that contains performance tweaks, drivers, and other software that makes the Chrome OS experience on that device great. Occasionally, an update will break functionality on one model but leave the functionality working on all other models. Rather than hold back the update for everyone, the team decides to hold back the update for affected devices until the issue has been resolved. > > In most cases, devices that are skipped will see the update relatively soon. In some cases, updates will be delayed until the next major release (typically 6 weeks). It usually depends on the specific problem, and how quickly the team can create, test, and deploy the fix. > > How long can I expect to get updates for my Chrome OS device? > > The standard "end of life" policy for Chrome devices is 5 years from when they were first available. This period can be extended, but it is never less than 5 years. You can find the full list of announced end of life dates here: > > https://www.google.com/chrome/devices/eol.html

you have been selling out however possible since the day you started. And I get gotta make money to keep a channel/site afloat.

But you were slinging NordVPN even after all the shit that went down with that company. Even after mostly everyone abandoned it. And now this nonsense? At a certain point it becomes too ridiculous.

Why not just run Android port of SuperTuxKart ? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.supertuxkart.stk&hl=en

Join is an Android app. Combined with the Join Chrome extension, it will mirror your phone's notifications and text directly from your Chromebook. There are plenty of other features (sharing clipboard contents between phone and Chromebook, sending tabs, sending files, etc).

This functionality has been rumored to be native to ChromeOS for some time, but nothing has come out of these rumors.

In case you're playing http://orteil.dashnet.org/cookieclicker/, run setInterval(() => document.getElementById('bigCookie').click(), 100) in the JavaScript console. I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader to adapt it to other pages :P

This is the comparison of my 2010 laptop and the 2015 Acer c910 processors (i7 and i3). As you can see, the chromebook's i3 processor uses substantially less power AND performs better.

You can still use a chromebook for coding. Just as you would send big jobs to your schools supercomputer, you can send jobs to your desktop or the supercomputer.

On the topic of ad-blockers, I would like to pimp /r/pihole for those of you who administer your own home network and have a little technical inkling. All you need is a Raspberry Pi kit of some sort (I used an RPi3) and a few hours for initial setup.

After it's set up, I use Secure Shell to access it to keep it updated and the like.

I use it in tandem with uBlock Origin. Lovely thing.

For those of you that might be looking, here is a list of Chromebooks compatible with Android apps and what channel you need to be on to get them.

https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chrome-os-systems-supporting-android-apps

The processor variation doesn't determine that, the OS build does. Thinkpad 13's are all built on the Sentry build version. Sentry has Dev channel access, regardless of processor choice.

See here: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices

More information about Linux containers : https://linuxcontainers.org/

Containers are showing up more and more in interesting computing applications these days.

For clarification, each app doesn't have its own container. The entire Android environment gets its own container.

That sucks. Unfortunately I don't know how to help you track it. Sorry.

A cheap replacement option, if you cat get your hands on an old non-chromebook laptop, is to run CloudReady on an old windows (or mac or linux) machine. It's chrome without the google branding and is really easy to set up.

no, you're streaming from joker.org --

<video id="vidjs_html5_api" class="vjs-tech" ng-file-drop="onFileSelect($files)" ng-file-drag-over-class="dropping" src="http://vm2.joker.org/v/4224649465bdd7ddc0391e3786f7c25c1b2c8f4cd2c9572de28aa5476afefe5f7c97286f6cb28a4ec6deba78ccfb415e21477e3ee70f972e6955b49d60aef5c6fe5e3d87de4a40e3af36051500ba9866eed301efa022537ee3c95d0aee7436d4.mp4"&gt;&lt;!-- ngRepeat: language in trackLanguages --><!-- ngRepeat: language in trackLanguages --><p class="vjs-no-js">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that <a href="http://videojs.com/html5-video-support/" target="_blank">supports HTML5 video</a></p></video>

The real question is just how long this site is going to stay around. my guess is, not very long.

I write for a living, and docs is amazing, especially for collaborative documents. That said, constructing and navigating an extended document that has it's own internal workflow and has frequent structural changes will not be fun at all. I'd seriously recommend looking into one of the many online tools;

• Gingko was specifically designed for phd students and..
• Supernotecard is solid and stable, but a bit clunky

Whatever you choose, make and keep lots of external backups! You feel much happier, and you can always move your work to another system if you find one that fits you better.

Yeah free VPNs are never a good idea, they could be selling your data to advertisers or worse... I use a paid VPN as well - NordVPN to be exact and I'm quite happy with it, chose it a long time ago and never looked back.

I had this exact issue on my Samsung Plus for ages and couldn't figure it out, Wallpaper always showed the "can't connect" error, and Keep always showed as Offline. Just last week I realised it only happens when I have my VPN enabled (I use NordVPN, and it's always on), when the VPN is not connected both apps work fine.

VPN's aren't always that simple to choose. Especially if security, not YouTube, is your concern.

For example, I use ProXPN on my laptops, desktop, Nexus 7, and S4. Unfortunately, I have since bought an Acer C720 a few months ago. ProXPN has ZERO support for Chromebooks. So, I'm looking for a good VPN that supports Chromebooks.

So, what is a "good VPN?" Well, they must be:
* Fast.
* Not based in the USA.
* Have mutiple servers in multiple countries.
* Must have at least 1 server in the Netherlands for torrenting, as even with a non-US based VPN, you can still get busted torrenting copyrighted files through your VPN from almost any other country.
* Must allow torrenting, unthrottled.
* MUST NOT keep logs.
* Must allow TOR traffic.

If a VPN cannot meet these basic is ONLY good for YouTube like OP is talking about. Otherwise, don't even waste your money on a VPN.

Personally, I don't trust what a company says about it's self on it's own website. So far, I haven't found any VPN with easy Chromebook support that fits these requirements and comes recommended from a source I can trust.

Never assume that just because you use a VPN, your ISP or anyone sniffing packets on the wifi network you are on can't see what you are doing. There are many out there that are terribly unsecure. And, unless you check for DNS leaks, even the best VPN is useless, because you are still showing your ISP every website or address you are looking for.

tl;dr: Can anyone recommend a good, secure VPN for Chromebooks, that fits the above requirements?

I have been using Private Internet Access with my Chromebook for the last couple weeks. Works perfect. Here are the instructions I found to set it up to work with Chrome OS.()

Push bullet!

Pretty handy little extension that syncs notifications and can also sync your clipboard and allows you to SMS from your browser.

The app is here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pushbullet.android

If you have Android apps enabled on your Chromebook, it seems that Twilight is finally working on the stable Chrome OS channel. I've been using it every night for the last week or so!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid.lux&amp;hl=en

I'm sorry but people really need to learn to use google.com

http://www.cnet.com/uk/how-to/how-to-run-both-chrome-os-and-ubuntu-on-a-chromebook/

http://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/795730-how-to-easily-install-ubuntu-on-chromebook-with-crouton

I found this with a simple "how to install crouton toshiba chromebook 2"

I've had the chromebook 2 for about 3 months now and it has been simply fantastic. The screen is great and it does everything I want it to do. Battery life is amazing and oh my the screen again. The main reason I got it...

I can't stand TN panels, or non 1080p screens. This one is pretty much perfect, need an IPS screen.

Perfect for Netflix, and to watch videos with VLC, it has enough power to play high bitrate 1080p videos with no stuttering and the speakers are actually great.

Ubuntu gives it the ability to do much more, I personally couldn't use the chromebook without it as my secondary computer alongside my desktop.

Unfortunately, the Toshiba CB2 probably won't suit your needs. You can't replace the SSD, or upgrade anything, really. Everything is just soldered to the motherboard. But if you really want the CB2, you can use an SD card to fix your storage issues. The SD card will only stick out about a millimeter or so. However, I'm not sure if the CB2's Bay Trail processor will be compatible with some Linux applications, so you may want to get a Chromebook with a Haswell processor.

So the absolute best one for you would be the Acer C720. You can upgrade the SSD as shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jOHHyJMgWk

You can't upgrade the RAM on the C720, so be sure to get the 4GB version. However, you can upgrade the RAM on the Acer C710 Chromebook, just as a note.

And yes you can run Ubuntu on it. http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-run-both-chrome-os-and-ubuntu-on-a-chromebook/

By the way, if have $380, you may want to buy the Acer C720 Intel Core i3 version.

I am also waiting on some more info, very interested in this as my first Chromebook. I thought I saw Oct 22nd somewhere but I cant find it again so I'm not getting my hopes up

edit found CNET review from September that shows Oct 22nd.... Still not getting my hopes up though. (http://www.cnet.com/products/hp-chromebook-14-2014/)

Acer Chromebook 14. All metal build, great screen and Acer is selling recertified refurbs (which look like new) for about $199. You can buy one through Groupon (who provides free pre-paid returns if you are unhappy) and use Ebates for 9% cash back - so $191 out the door, tax included.

Here's a link to the Groupon deal.

You are right donkeedong, that picture has been taken at The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Maldives. See the link for more pictures.

Here is a comparison of the processing power for a gaming laptop (Y50) and the new acer i3 computer that will come out next month.

The gaming laptop is about 2.5x as powerful. Additionally, it runs Windows so there is not many problems for games. It also costs about 3x as much and will have a battery life about 1/3 of the chromebook.

If you have no desire to use linux, the chromebook will lose a lot of it's functionality (such as gaming).

It should a bit bigger, but it depends on how much is you saved offline from google drive. I have 16gb and have 8 on a new install with all my stuff installed. The recovery would make sure anything from chrubuntu is removed.

EDIT: "Instigating a full recovery on your Chromebook will not only delete all your locally saved data, but it will also install an entirely new version of the Chrome operating system on your machine. This is also the only way to re-partition your hard drive back to its factory state, meaning if you installed Linux using ChrUbuntu this is the best method to follow."

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/two-ways-to-reformat-your-chromebook-powerwash-full-recovery/

you can download VBA-M. it lets you play any Gameboy Advance game. just download a rom from one of the many sites (heres one: http://www.doperoms.com/roms/Gameboy_Advance_Gba.html). open the ZIP file copy the file inside paste it somewhere in the downloads folder. then rename it to a name without any spaces. ex. gba rom.gba would be renamed gbarom.gba or gba_rom.gba.

Based on recent commit comments, I think there will be a new Samsung at CES, using the Exynos 5420 or 5422.There is also some discussion about operating in 1080p, but I think they might be referring to the HDMI connector.

Source: https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/forum/#!searchin/chromium-os-reviews/ces/chromium-os-reviews/Weu07W_1ftw/AkedVEt7GKkJ

My first Chromebook was a HP Chromebook 11 G1 that I bought back in June 2014. It was more out of curiosity than a real need. I chose it because it was an ARM-based fan-less small netbook with a micro-USB port to charge it.

I really liked it, the concept, but the building quality was very poor and I prefer desktop computer, so I decided to buy a HP Chromebox 6 months later, which I still use daily. I think I'll replace it soon with an Android-enabled one.

Now I also own a Samsung Chromebook Plus, for Android apps.

For me the two main drawbacks are the impossibility to print over USB, and the concern over privacy.

Main advantages: sync, backups, updates, maintenance-free system.

Be careful not to lock yourself into an economic model. I used to possess a Macbook and an iPhone in the late 2000s/early 2010s, I bought DRM protected contents on iTunes, a lot of iOS apps, now I regret it a lot as I can't use them anymore. My main advice would be to encourage you to use different service and content providers, and free (as in freedom) ones if they exist.

ChromeOS was at that time a very simple OS, and it still is, there are not that much tips and tricks one can share that really changes the user experience. Maybe you ask for a list of services we use? Here is mine:

• a third-party email provider (in my case gandi.net with my own domain)
• feeder.co for feeds
• sharelatex for LaTeX
• qobuz.com for music
• Google Docs and Drive for documents
• Google Keep for note taking and lists, but I'm not very happy with it, I might change
• Google Movies to rent videos sometimes, but I would never buy anything DRM-protected
• except for a few helpful apps like Enpass or feeder.

That covers almost 80&#37; of my usage.

Download this Chrome app. When you go to your app list, right click on the Secure Shell icon and set it to open as window. When I actually SSHed into the server, the ctrl-w didn't close the window. Let me know if this worked for you!!

Gutted looks like my Dell Chromebook 13 i5 won't get this as it's 3.14 but does support VX-i

Looks like there are a few Chromebooks with that kernel according to https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices

At a quick glance all Broadwell chipsets have 3.14 currently.

> There's some sort of snap-on connector just above the heatsink on the right, and I'm really curious what that could be used for.

That is the standard Chromebook debug connector ("Servo"). They have released schematics and stuff for it in case you want to hook up to it.

I'm surprised that yours is populated, though, usually they have to be soldered on separately (although I think there have been previous exceptions like the Pixel 2). Did you get a pre-release unit?

>I never saw this Information window before

It's just a modified Neofetch information tool that is not part of the standard Chrome OS distribution. And yes, Chrome Shell is Crosh.

Good point about the workstation/laptop caveat.

Android is also a bit less like a traditional Linux distribution in the sense that it doesn't have a standard way to run Linux GUI apps. GUI apps have to be written using an Android-specific system, whether directly or via some toolkit that uses the Android GUI system under the hood.

Another point which people tend to miss when hearing "but Linux apps on ChromeOS run in a VM!" is that it's not a traditional VMware or VirtualBox VM, where the VM has its own window and all apps run within that window. Ordinary Linux GUI apps run unchanged on ChromeOS, directly on the host OS UI, which underscores the Linux nature of the host OS.

One of the most obvious ways in which ChromeOS is unlike a traditional Linux is that its security model constrains where you can run apps. In that sense, it's like something like Qubes OS, except that Qubes is not at all widely used, whereas ChromeOS is in the hands of large numbers of consumers already.

In that sense ChromeOS represents a major change in the architecture of consumer OSes, one which has huge security benefits that don't yet seem to be as widely appreciated or understood as they should be. If ChromeOS evolves towards support for multiple user VMs, more like Qubes, that will be even better.

Some users may not care, but just in case this matters to anyone, from https://vectr.com/terms/

3.2 License "You hereby grant (and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant) to Company an irrevocable, nonexclusive, royalty-free and fully paid, worldwide license to reproduce, distribute, publicly display and perform, prepare derivative works of, incorporate into other works, and otherwise use and exploit your User Content, and to grant sublicenses of the foregoing rights, solely for the purposes of including your User Content in the Site. You hereby irrevocably waive (and agree to cause to be waived) any claims and assertions of moral rights or attribution with respect to your User Content."

The main one I use is Jotterpad. While iOS has an excess of "write in Markdown, save in Dropbox" apps, Android has comparatively few that don't require at least some assembly (syncing with Dropbox separately) and this is by far the most polished IMO.

Inkredible - for notes that are scribbled instead of typed. Squid is cool too but I won't use it heavily enough to justify a subscription.

OneNote - My job is a Microsoft shop. Sadly they don't let you install this from the Play Store any more, have to sideload it.

Netflix, Spectrum TV, HBO Go, Showtime Anytime - Gotta have entertainment, and these work better than the web.

JuiceSSH - granted the SSH app for Chrome OS is nice and well integrated but I've had this for a long while on Android so why not.

Termux - Mini linux without using dev mode. Usually I just ssh to a server, but it's still nice to have a local Emacs once in a while.

Hearthstone, XCom Enemy Within - again, gotta have entertainment.

Google Play Books - better than web version.

Some PDF reader I forget the name of -- reading my stash of RPGs and technical books.

And that's why I like the Chromebook Plus as an Android tablet that happens to have a full browser too. :)

Skype isn't available on chromebooks, although google hangouts video chat is. If they were willing to switch, it is basically a first class citizen. If you were technically minded, you could use a regular linux distro on it via crouton and use skype there (note, this would require an x86 based chromebook), although skype for linux is really quite awful due to terrible UI and being buggy by default for a lot of audio setups (screw you microsoft!)

As for downloading files and using them locally... The experience isn't really great, but it is usable. Potentially, if you had a computer to set up plex on, you could view both movies and music through your browser. Look at https://plex.tv if you wanted to explore this route (basic version of plex that will do everything you need is free).

I have the same Chromebook and love it. That said many people have issues with Microsoft Word and Google Docs not playing nice together. i.e. formatting is lost between formats. The better solution would be to signup for a free Office365 account from Microsoft and then use the free online version of Microsoft Word.

Free Office 365 for Students - http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/students-can-get-microsoft-office-365-for-free/

This isn't true. This misconception comes from bait and switch tactics being illegal, but when they aren't trying to get you to buy anything else, there's no switch. It also becomes more complicated if they initially agree to the sale and then complain.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2010/09/your-rights-as-a-consumer/index.htm

The best way to do this is with Google's Remote Desktop implementation https://remotedesktop.google.com/ . The client works purely in Chrome, supports touch, and will generally be less resource intensive then Android solutions like Steam or Moonlight. There is a Moonlight for Chrome, but it it's unusable on ChromeOS in my experience.

Go browser to browser through WebRTC. It will all be routed locally over your network.

There's a lot of sites out there that will do it, but here's a couple:

• sharedrop
• reep

Valid question, but some pimple-ridden moron in his mother's basement wouldn't have it, and downvoted it so that nobody else can help. Lucky for the OP, some of us only browse reddit.com/new.

One way you can mirror your notifications is via Pushbullet . Hope that helps.

The recovery image is customized for a specific model of device and its hardware. You cannot use the Chromebook Recovery Utility to install ChromeOS on a PC.

If you want to do that look at CloudReady - https://www.neverware.com/freedownload

There are also distributions of ChromiumOS (the open-source base of ChromeOS, but these can be hard to get support for.

If you have a spare machine knocking around you can try Neverware home for free on PC or Mac to try https://www.neverware.com/freedownload download and burn to USB, then try. The major difference is there is no current android app support with neverware but other than that it's great.

You need a google account to use chromeos (you can use guest but it's more of a temporary account)

You may feel it's limited but once you start using you will find that most tasks can still be done, I have a home PC with windows and a work laptop but whenever I am away I just take my Pixelbook now. I have VPN's, netflix, Now TV, youtube, skype/duo, google docs, delivered a course the other week using powerpoint through google slides and RDP to an Azure vm for the windows bit..

It would be nice to have a reason, but they have no obligation to provide one, and most people don't know nor care. It has been fairly common in the past to not update some devices. Don't worry, support is for a minimum of 5 years on all Chromebooks, as per https://www.google.com/chrome/devices/eol.html

ChromeOS updates come from Google, not Acer.

Here's the Google device EOL list, although not everything is in there. For a brand-new device, I'd say you will get at least 4-5 years of OS updates.

https://www.google.com/chrome/devices/eol.html

Hey there, excellent question.

Speaking to the software side, the only issue you'll need to look out for is the official end of life policy. Google can't realistically keep all Chrome devices updated forever, so they have a policy of phasing them out after several years. The minimum end of life cycle is 5 years from release, although they can be extended above that as much as Google pleases.

• https://www.google.com/chrome/devices/eol.html

The current EoL date for the Acer C720 Chromebook is November 2018. It has not been officially confirmed though (only two devices have official dates, and they are the CR-48 and the Samsung Series 5), so an extension is certainly possible.

Also, given that the Chrome OS community has strong developer roots, there will likely be unofficial workarounds to keep the most popular models strong. Loading Chromium OS, for example, may be a smart move. We'll probably see more of this come together as the CR-48 nears it's EoL this coming fall.

I bought this one off of Amazon - "ASUS C201 11.6 Inch Chromebook (Rockchip, 4 GB, 16GB SSD, Navy Blue)" (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VUV0MG0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1)

Looking at my order history, I got it for $166 (guess in my mind it was a little more), thanks to a Amazon Warehouse deal. They ad said the box was scratched but the item inside was fine. I would have classified the damage as "scuffing" on the outside box and yes, the chromebook was in perfect condition. An absolute STEAL! They have a bunch listed on the website right now at http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00VUV0MG0/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&amp;condition=used - just looked for the ones posted by Amazon Warehouse Deals.

New: Amazon at $497. Used: Swappa has one for $455

Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431 is pretty great. It's got a 1080p screen, huge spacious trackpad, and a quad-core Celeron N3160 in an all-aluminum body. It looks like a 14 inch cousin of the Macbook Air.

It lists for $258 new when I checked on Amazon just now but can be under $200 if you get a recertified model. I had a recertified CB3-431 from Amazon and it arrived in pristine like new condition. I sold it to a friend who is now using it in college and she says it's still holding up like a champ after freshman year.

https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Chromebook-ChromeOS-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B01K5EBCES

Here is the listing from the official Acer Recertified Store that I bought. I've bought 3 recertified Chromebooks from them and they've all been flawless.

Sub-$200 is mostly junk they sell to schools where one of the prime benefits is how cheap you can replace a kid's computer when they break it.

If she can do a little bit more, Amazon has a certified refurbished Acer R11 with Prime shipping for $225 right now: https://www.amazon.com/Acer-Convertible-Chromebook-Touchscreen-Refurbished/dp/B07HLX36ZN/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1543872282&amp;sr=8-9&amp;keywords=refurbished+chromebook. That's what I would probably do close to her price range.